Rays Rumors

AL East Notes: Yankees, Niemann, Howell

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 28, 2011 at 10:56pm CDT

Every American League East team except the Orioles has a winning record. We've already checked in on the Red Sox and Blue Jays tonight, now here's the latest news out of the Bronx and St. Petersburg…

Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Dan Martin of the New York Post that he doesn't expect to make a trade this week. However, he continues to go through the motions in search of a possible upgrade. “I go into the marketplace with a team that's a championship-caliber team as it sits," Cashman said. "It's hard to upgrade on that.”
Rays manager Joe Maddon told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that he isn't anticipating major trades (Twitter link).
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that the Rays didn't offer Jeff Niemann and J.P. Howell for Colby Rasmus, contrary to earlier reports.

Braves Eyeing Crisp, Ludwick, Upton, Quentin

By Tim Dierkes | July 28, 2011 at 6:58pm CDT

The latest on the Braves' search for an outfielder:

The Braves have also had internal discussions about Coco Crisp, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
A scout told Mark Bowman of MLB.com that Ludwick tops the Braves' wish list.
The Braves are "desperate" for an outfield bat, but Quentin may cost multiple top prospects, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
It's starting to seem like the White Sox will trade Quentin and the Braves are most often mentioned as a frontrunner, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).
The Braves and Phillies are both "very interested" in Quentin and it appears that the White Sox will consider moving him, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
Scott Miller of CBSSports.com confirms that the Braves have talked about Ludwick (they have "significant interest"), Willingham, Quentin and Pence. He adds B.J. Upton to the list of outfielders they're considering.
The Braves are "hot" for White Sox right fielder Carlos Quentin, tweets Rosenthal, and the Sox love Atlanta's young arms. However, one holdup is the thumb injury to Dayan Viciedo, who would replace Quentin in Chicago's lineup.
The Athletics' Josh Willingham is on the Braves' list of post-Carlos Beltran options, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Earlier we heard that the Braves are the last team in on Houston's Hunter Pence and one of four teams in on San Diego's Ryan Ludwick.

Brewers Acquire Felipe Lopez

By Tim Dierkes | July 28, 2011 at 2:26pm CDT

The Brewers acquired infielder Felipe Lopez from the Rays for cash considerations, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. He'll head to Triple-A Nashville for the time being. Brewers GM Doug Melvin moved quickly to add infield depth after Rickie Weeks injured his ankle yesterday. Melvin told Tom Haudricourt that no second basemen are on the market at a price he'll meet so he'll probably mix and match a variety of players.

Lopez, 31, was a July addition for Milwaukee back in 2009 as well. He struggled with the Rays this year but hit .305/.357/.474 in 207 plate appearances for their Triple-A club. Lopez was designated for assignment and cleared waivers twice already this year, so the cash the Brewers are considering sending shouldn't amount to much.

Tigers Rumors: Starting Pitchers

By Tim Dierkes | July 28, 2011 at 12:33pm CDT

The Tigers acquired Jhonny Peralta a year ago today, but this year they're trying to hold off the Indians rather than make trades with them. Who will they add before Sunday's deadline? The latest:

It sounds like the Tigers' three options for a starting pitcher currently are Hiroki Kuroda, Aaron Harang, and Jeremy Guthrie, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
The Dodgers, Mariners, Astros, and Rays had scouts assigned to watch the Tigers' Low-A team last night, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The game was postponed due to rain, however. At any rate, Nick Castellanos and Bruce Rondon are a couple of notable prospects on that club.

B.J. Upton Rumors: Wednesday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 27, 2011 at 8:30pm CDT

The Indians, Nationals, Braves and Pirates are among the teams with interest in B.J. Upton, who isn't in the Rays' lineup tonight despite having rested Sunday. Here are the latest rumors on the center fielder:

The Phillies think they can obtain Upton more cheaply than Hunter Pence, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
Upton told teammates he had some quad tightness, according to Topkin (on Twitter).
The Rays don't have a deal in place for Upton now, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (on Twitter).
Now that Colby Rasmus and Carlos Beltran are off of the market, the list of teams with possible interest in Upton is taking shape, Topkin explains. The Phillies and Reds are also possible destinations.

AL East Notes: Lee, Rays, Yankees, Jackson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 27, 2011 at 4:47pm CDT

The American League East welcomed a new center fielder to the division today, but it may not be long before another one gets traded. Here’s the latest from a division that currently has four former first rounders patrolling center field: B.J. Upton, Jacoby Ellsbury, Adam Jones and, now, Colby Rasmus:

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun suggests that the Pirates or Diamondbacks might want to take a look at Derrek Lee, who can provide defense, leadership and some power down the stretch. The Orioles might be able to obtain some salary relief and a low level prospect or two for the first baseman, who would likely clear waivers in August.
The Rays signed third round pick Johnny Eierman for $550K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). Eierman is unusually athletic and will probably become an outfielder, Callis writes.
The Yankees signed 14th rounder Rookie Davis to a deal worth $550K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The right-hander/first baseman obtained the biggest bonus so far for any player selected after the third round.
Edwin Jackson, now a member of the Cardinals, was never on Boston's radar, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).

Reds Targeting Shields Over Jimenez

By Tim Dierkes | July 27, 2011 at 2:47pm CDT

The Reds are targeting James Shields over Ubaldo Jimenez, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal says it's still unlikely the Rays trade Shields, "but the Reds are deep enough in prospects that they at least stand a chance."

Yesterday, ESPN's Jayson Stark reported that the Rays have "basically taken [Shields] off the market," for July and the offseason. The 29-year-old ranks fourth in the AL with a 2.53 ERA and can be under contract through 2014.

Indians Remain Aggressive

By Tim Dierkes | July 27, 2011 at 10:27am CDT

The Indians remain aggressive after their failed run at Carlos Beltran, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan. Passan says the Indians are "trying to move on" Colby Rasmus, B.J. Upton, and Hiroki Kuroda.

Though a deal was never presented to Beltran, the Indians offered to pick up all of his contract and send a good player to the Mets, reported MLB.com's Peter Gammons yesterday. Rasmus, meanwhile, may be headed elsewhere.

Eight-Player Deal Sending Rasmus To Jays For Jackson Imminent

By Tim Dierkes | July 27, 2011 at 7:00am CDT

12:08pm: The Cardinals will send Rasmus, Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters to the Blue Jays for Jackson, Rzepczynski, Dotel, and Corey Patterson, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Olney adds that Miller is then expected to be traded to the White Sox.

12:01pm: This trade is not yet official because of the money involved, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. He says that aspect may need to be reworked before it's approved.

11:35am: A trade of Rasmus to the Blue Jays for Jackson, Dotel, and Rzepczynski is imminent, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He says an announcement could come early this afternoon.

11:22am: Edwin Jackson is definitely going to be traded by the Blue Jays, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Heyman heard it's going to be for Cardinals outfielder Colby Rasmus. Rasmus being under team control through 2014 and still highly-regarded, the Cards will require more than just two months of Jackson. The two teams have talked about Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel, notes Olney, and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Cards asked about outfielder Eric Thames.

Rasmus is a popular trade target. ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Rays offered one of Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, and Alex Cobb, and the young center fielder is very much available. The Indians have interest as well.

Miller On Upton, Angels, Slowey

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 26, 2011 at 11:50pm CDT

Scott Miller of CBSSports.com has updates on the trade market. Here they are…

Miller’s sources expect the Rays to trade B.J. Upton by Sunday (click here for the latest on Upton).
Angels owner Arte Moreno has approved a payroll increase, according to Miller. The Angels are looking for a third baseman, but they would send Erick Aybar to the Mets for Jose Reyes straight up, according to Miller. The Mets, however, aren’t interested; they’ll keep Reyes instead.
Minnesota is expected to trade Kevin Slowey, who continues to draw interest, according to Miller. Earlier tonight, we heard that the Rockies are interested in Slowey.

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